Woman faces homelessness amid housing scheme phase out

Deb Fryers fears she could be homeless at the hands of a federal government housing scheme that's been abandoned.

The Melbourne cancer sufferer has been renting an apartment in North Melbourne under the National Rental Affordability Scheme since October 2021.

It's an initiative that was introduced by the Rudd Government that allows tenants to rent properties at reduced rates thanks to government support.

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But the program was scrapped by the Abbott government and is now in the process of being phased out.

"So it's effectively probably a $375 to $425 a week apartment but I pay $275, so it's subsidised … it's in the city, it's got a car spot, it's got a balcony," Fryers told A Current Affair.

In short, it's been a game-changer for her.

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"I relaxed. I absolutely, I just couldn't believe it, I felt like I couldn't believe my luck," Fryers said.

Fryers suffers from Myelofibrosis, a rare cancer, as well as a liver disease.

Whilst living in North Melbourne, she's managed to find a good local GP and she lives close to the hospital where she receives treatment.

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She also thought she would be able to live in this apartment at least for the next few years.

"I said to them, 'So ... how long do you reckon I can stay here'? And there was a property manager who said 'Oh I think it's about three years' ... I was like, 'That's cool, that's longer than I've ever stayed anywhere'," Fryers said.

But only six months into her lease, received a letter saying something very different.

"Opened it and I just went 'Oh my god' ... my heart sank … and it said 'This is all over in October, the subsidy is gone'. And I was like, 'I don't understand. This is supposed to be long term accommodation'," Fryers said.

"And that was it, I was in bed for a week or two, didn't eat, didn't sleep, didn't shower."

Fryers' apartment is one of thousands being phased out of the scheme, meaning the rent will go up.

She can't afford to pay more rent, so now she must try and find somewhere else to live before October.

In the meantime, the single 48-year-old has discovered she's lost her priority spot in the queue for public housing on the Victorian Housing Register.

"Because I had gotten, or secured my own private rental, that forfeited my position on the housing register priority access. I had no idea," Fryers said.

"So I'm out here, paying; trying not to be a burden on the government and I'm not looked after - I'm taken off the priority list."

Emma Greenhalgh, CEO of National Shelter, said more should be done to help people like Deb.

"We could be looking at ways to extend the scheme for a short period of time until the private market changes," Greenhalgh explained.

"It (NRAS) could have been ended in a much better way for tenants, that reduces the stress on them given that we've known this scheme was coming to an end."

As for Fryers, she's currently in the process of looking for a different NRAS apartment to rent that will put a roof over her head for a bit longer.